Three African American scholars were recently honored for their work to compile The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia (University Press of Kentucky, 2015). There are more than 1,000 entries in the encyclopedia detailing African American history from frontier days to the present time. More than 150 scholars contributed to the entries in the volume.

The three editors of the 684-page volume – Gerald L. Smith, Karen Cotton McDaniel, and John A. Hardin – received the 2016 Kentucky History Award from the Kentucky Historical Society.

Gerald L. Smith is the Theodore A. Hallman Professor in the department of history at the University of Kentucky. From 1997-2005, he served as the director of the African American Studies and Research Program at the university. Professor Smith is the author of A Black Educator in the Segregated South: Kentucky’s Rufus B. Atwood (University Press of Kentucky, 1994).

Karen Cotton McDaniel is a professor emerita at Kentucky State University in Frankfort. She taught at Kentucky State from 1989 to 2005 and also served as the university’s director of libraries. Dr. McDaniel has since taught at Eastern Kentucky University and Berea College. She holds a Ph.D. in U.S. history from the University of Kentucky.

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Professional sports teams have discontinued playing Kate Smith’s version of “God Bless America” at games due to her recording of songs in the 1930s that contained racist lyrics. Which statement best reflects your view?

I agree that Smith’s version of “God Bless America” should not be played.

Smith’s recordings with racist lyrics should be considered in context of the times.

Abraham Lincoln made racist comments, should we ban the reciting of the Gettysburg Address?